The hope chest a Franklin brother and sister were trapped and died in was made in 1939 and was the subject of a product safety recall for the latch, authorities said.

Preliminary autopsy results show that Lexi, 8, and Sean Munroe, 7, died Sunday in a “tragic accident,” said Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey.

“Although the autopsy reports will not be completed and a formal determination on cause and manner of death will not be final until toxicology tests are completed and returned, none of the information gathered in today’s autopsies appears to be inconsistent with the narrative that has emerged in this case,” Morrissey said in a statement. “That of a tragic accident.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said there have been nine other child deaths due to asphyxiation in chests since 2003.

All of the deaths involved children 13 years old or younger.

Heritage Home Group, which owns The Lane Company Inc. that makes the chest, said the company has been working with the commission since 1996 to fix the latches on chests made before 1987. “Heritage Home Group will continue to make replacement locks available to consumers who own these chests. We strongly encourage consumers to replace recalled locks to ensure the safety of children,” a company statement said. “If the safety of a lock is in question, consumers should remove the latch plate from the lid of the chest until a replacement lock is provided or the product’s safety can be verified.”